"I would like to hand over to you a personal message of Prime Minister Abe for Russian President Vladimir Putin," Komura said at the meeting with Lavrov. "I would like to ask you to convey this message to the president."

Putin and Abe have met 12 times already, Komura reminded. "It seems that the two leaders have very good personal relationship," he said. "Prime Minister Abe has serious determination to develop the Japanese-Russian relations.".